The all-wise Creator has blessed us with many gifts for our provision. He created plants and animals that meet our nutritional requirements. He created an atmosphere that contains the gasses needed for proper bodily functioning, and He provided temperatures and climates in which we can thrive. We could fill several newspapers with all the miraculous ways God has designed His Creation to match our needs.
But He has also gone above and beyond just meeting our needs to satisfy many of our innate desires. The foods He created also delight our taste buds and the atmosphere facilitates incredible sunrises to please our eyes. And He has created music to bless our ears and souls.
Music is one of God’s many gifts that we take for granted. It often wakes us up in the morning, rides with us to work, and even pacifies us at dental appointments. We sing at athletic contests and weddings, birthdays and funerals, and most every event in between.
We should remember, however, that music is God’s idea. Job tells us that the morning stars sang together at Creation and apparently they’re still singing for NASA has discovered that celestial bodies emit signals that can be converted to radio waves. There’s a whole symphony out there that we’re missing. And while researchers attribute this to the laws of physics, believers know that our composing Creator has ordained these laws that produce this starry music.
Of course we’re all familiar with the beauty of songs sung by birds. In a few months, these winged musicians will be wooing their dates with the most exquisite melodies. I’ve written before about the complexity of their music that supposedly developed by random chance over millions of years. Yeah, right.
But did you ever pause to consider why God created music? He didn’t have to. We’d still be able to communicate with each other and perform the essentials of life without it. But in His generous love, He gifted us with an extravagant blessing of song.
We could offer many answers to this question. Knowing that babies would need some help getting to sleep He made lullabies possible. Realizing that field laborers needed rhythm to plant, cultivate, and harvest crops, He initiated a vehicle for doing so. Understanding us completely, He recognized that we would need a method beyond mere words to express our deepest feelings to those we love. Appreciating our need to express our sorrow whether from death, heartache, or depression, He devised the perfect means. And knowing our need to celebrate holidays, patriotism, athletic victories, and much more, He devised this joint venture of soul and body.
The Bible offers insight for the question of “Why Music?” as well. For in addition to the many reasons listed above, music is a tool God has given us with which to worship Him. The Bible is filled with songs including an entire book of them for which we have only the lyrics. Although the Psalms have been set to contemporary tunes by various composers, what I’d give to hear David sing Psalm 23 with its original score. David used God’s gift of music to express his praise as well as his lament whenever his words fell short. We also find music soothing Saul’s soul as it does our own, and Revelation tells us the redeemed will sing in heaven!
Many composers have understood music’s God-given value as Johann Sebastian Bach certainly did. At the top of the first page of each of his compositions, he wrote the Latin initials for Jesu juva which is “Jesus help me.” And on the bottom of the last page he always wrote Soli Deo Gloria, “Glory to God alone.” Even with our secular music, we would do well to copy his practice.
As we consider the role and importance of music in our lives, may we use it to glorify the One who has given us this great gift. Blessings, George